I’ll start out by telling you what I do… i help people qualify for government programs that aid them in affording the cost of aging… Ie, assited living facilities, skilled nursing, or even at home healthcare. I have clients paying 120k a year to afford the care that they need… for the avg person, this isnt even an option.
My dilemma is that I am fairly well known by these facilities up and down the treasure coast, these facilities refer me to their prospects in order to have me help fund their lifestyles with the various programs that are available to them… I also do educational seminars from time to time… (these get expensive, unless the facilities are co-broking the expense) The audiences typically range from 50-250 people… and i’ll meet with 30-50% of the people (its typically well worth my time to do these seminars, and im finding it builds a huge referral base). I am just getting to the point that I want to explore other avenues of marketing…
Ok… my ideal client is 65 or older… they are reaching a point in their life where they need some assistance in daily living. (the ideal client is not impoverished either, because if they are, they have no problems qualifying for these programs without my help… I’m basically helping them preserve their estate and maximize their inheritance)
Here are the issues with the typical “best situation client,” the clients that are at the point of NEEDING ASSISTANCE… typically arent browsing the web for help (their children are, but most of the kids of the parents down here live up north)… they also arent typically going to seminars when they reach this point, and arent really calling on radio or TV ads…
So if you were trying to reach out to 80-90 year old physically and/or mentally struggling elders… how would you do it?
ALSO NOTE… Children involvement is key in this process… I never consult with a disabled senior with cognitive impairments and signs of any dementia.
SOOOO
How do I more productively reach struggling seniors/ and their care-managing children…
What about social workers at hospitals? Typically that kind of care starts at a hospital visit…if you can get in with the social workers then when they brief the patient and family on their way out and tell them the kind of care they need, they could throw in a quick referral for you.
^hmmm social workers would be a great idea… the issue with that is they typically refer to the state medicaid offices or to the veterans service office…
which the people are told they dont qualify for… which makes them think they have no hope… which makes them self insure, until they’re broke, then they qualify…
this is one of few businesses that would probably benefit from a modest facebook ad-campaign.
in general facebook is a waste of time, but this could work. I have a feeling alot of seniors are getting into it to keep up with their children… my dad is like that now, but it took some convincing.
those seminars sound really good too, do more of them and bigger ones and over wider geographical areas. Get a team of guys under you that also go out and do that in other areas.
most traditional forms of marketing will either be too expensive or ineffective for you i would think.
even the children of most of the clients i have are in their 60s plus… its unreal…
I now view 70 as young! :lol:
I may just do that… a facebook page… and more seminars…
problem with the seminars is most of the people are too healthy to qualify for the benefit… these benefits are maximized when the seniors healthcare costs are elevating rapidly…
and then they go into “crisis” mode… itd be nice if I could get to them right before the changes occur… but thats rarely the case. sighhhhh
while more expensive than many options, it tends to be most successful with older generations. while social media may be an option for the baby boomers, it’s not an option for people of that age range.
making a promotional press kit of sorts to distribute/website to interact with social workers or something along that line may also be a way to go.
imo, this isn’t really something i would use social media for. however, advertising on sites related to specific illnesses/ care facilities may be worth looking into?
i do nonprofit. but the methods of reaching people are still the same.
EDIT: are you a 501 (c) 3? if so, you can apply for grants to cover the cost of promotional materials.
Our parent company is not a non-profit, but Life Care Planners is in the process of applying for non profit status…
We use direct mail to generate attendance for the seminars, we’ve been averaging 7-12%, not bad for a cheap post card… perhaps, I should send out a card that just explains to people that we exist and not JUST advertise a seminar on it…
granted, i’m applying fundraising techniques, but really, with that age range, it might not be a bad idea to use a one page letter with an overview of the services you offer. maybe a testimonial or two from people you have helped. with pictures of said people if possible (usually doubles response rates in a fundraising setting). and then the seminar info, where they can choose to learn more.
also, based on your target demographic, i would assume lack of transportation could be a contributing factor in attendance rates of seminars, so maybe a response card so they can choose to receive more info could be an option as well.
i know it seems too basic/archaic. but you’re dealing with seniors. a good mailing list is also key.
I’ve been so busy with prospective clients, I tend to not think about building a “machine,” when in reality… I need to focus on it… because referrals make my job that much easier… and so do the so called pop-ups…
You know, the ideal situation, the client thats a slam dunk, that I truly help their situation immensely.
you take out the right side ads on FB and you target specific account features to appear on. you also set a budget…you can go as low as like $25 a month and it just gives you $25 worth of impressions thats all.
i honestly think facebook is an ineffective marketplace anyways because people are not in consumption mode when they’re on there… it’s like a car dealership buying ad space in the waiting room of the hospital…
that said, it’s a reasonably effective means of segmenting your market and you can get into it for next to nothing.
Well where do old people hang out? Home, walgreens and the mall. Something as simple as a place mat where some seniors enjoy morning brew wouldn’t be a bad idea. Also what about an ad in a local penny saver? Maybe even a larger paper? Old folks read the news. Even more so if it has some sort of coupon in it. I got nothing for walgreens…
Free refreshments at your seminars,advertise it on your post card and you’ll see double the turnout.Coffee,hard candy and maybe some cheap ass cookies…old people love that shit.
